[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 140 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5974-S5975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2595. Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2137 proposed by Mr. 
Schumer (for Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr. 
Cassidy, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Collins, Mr. Tester, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. 
Warner, and Mr. Romney)) to the bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for 
Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:
        At the appropriate place in title II of division E, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 502__. URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (2) Member agencies.--The term ``member agencies'' means 
     each of--
       (A) the Environmental Protection Agency;
       (B) the Department of the Interior;
       (C) the Department of Agriculture;
       (D) the Corps of Engineers;
       (E) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
       (F) the Economic Development Administration;
       (G) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
       (H) the Department of Transportation;
       (I) the Department of Energy;
       (J) the Department of Education;
       (K) the National Institute for Environmental Health 
     Sciences;
       (L) the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund;
       (M) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
       (N) the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
       (O) such other agencies, departments, and bureaus that 
     elect to participate in the Urban Waters program as the 
     missions, authorities, and appropriated funding of those 
     agencies, departments, and bureaus allow.
       (3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
     Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
       (4) Urban waters ambassador.--The term ``Urban Waters 
     ambassador'' means a person who--
       (A) is locally based near the applicable Urban Waters 
     partnership location; and
       (B) serves in a central coordinating role for the work 
     carried out in the applicable Urban Waters partnership 
     location with respect to the Urban Waters program.
       (5) Urban waters nonpartnership location.--The term ``Urban 
     Waters nonpartnership location'' means an urban or municipal 
     site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site--
       (A) that receives Federal support for activities that 
     advance the purpose of the Urban Waters program; but
       (B)(i) that is not formally designated as an Urban Waters 
     partnership location; and
       (ii) for which is not maintained--
       (I) an active partnership with an Urban Waters ambassador; 
     or
       (II) an Urban Waters partnership location workplan.
       (6) Urban waters partnership location.--The term ``Urban 
     Waters partnership location'' means an urban or municipal 
     site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site 
     for which--
       (A) the Administrator, in collaboration with the heads of 
     the other member agencies, has formally designated as a 
     partnership location under the Urban Waters program; and
       (B) an active partnership with an Urban Waters ambassador 
     is maintained.
       (7) Urban waters partnership location workplan.--The term 
     ``Urban Waters partnership location workplan'' means the plan 
     for projects and actions that is coordinated across an Urban 
     Waters partnership location.
       (8) Urban waters program.--The term ``Urban Waters 
     program'' means the program established under subsection 
     (b)(1).
       (b) Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program.--
       (1) Authorization.--There is authorized a program, to be 
     known as the ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program'', 
     administered by the partnership of the member agencies--
       (A) to jointly support and execute the goals of the Urban 
     Waters program through the independent authorities and 
     appropriated funding of the member agencies; and
       (B) to advance the purpose described in paragraph (2) 
     within designated Urban Waters partnership locations and 
     other urban and suburban communities in the United States.
       (2) Program purpose.--The purpose of the Urban Waters 
     program is to reconnect urban communities, particularly urban 
     communities that are overburdened or economically distressed, 
     with associated waterways by improving coordination among 
     Federal agencies.
       (3) Program requirements.--
       (A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Administrator, in coordination with the 
     Secretaries and, as appropriate, the heads of the other 
     member agencies, shall maintain the Urban Waters program in 
     accordance with this paragraph.
       (B) Urban waters federal partnership steering committee.--
       (i) Establishment.--

       (I) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a 
     steering committee for the Urban Waters program (referred to 
     in this subparagraph as the ``steering committee'').
       (II) Chair.--The Administrator shall serve as chairperson 
     of the steering committee.
       (III) Vice-chairs.--The Secretaries shall serve as vice-
     chairpersons of the steering committee.
       (IV) Membership.--In addition to the Administrator and the 
     Secretaries, the members of the steering committee shall be 
     the senior officials (or their designees) from such member 
     agencies as the Administrator shall designate.

       (ii) Duties.--The steering committee shall provide general 
     guidance to the member agencies with respect to the Urban 
     Waters program, including guidance with respect to--

       (I) the identification of annual priority issues for 
     special emphasis within Urban Waters partnership locations; 
     and
       (II) the identification of funding opportunities, which 
     shall be communicated to all Urban Waters partnership 
     locations.

       (iii) Interagency financing.--Notwithstanding section 1346 
     of title 31, United States Code, section 708 of division E of 
     the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
     260), or any other similar provision of law, member agencies 
     may--

       (I) provide interagency financing to the steering 
     committee; and

[[Page S5975]]

       (II) directly transfer such amounts as are necessary to 
     support the activities of the steering committee.

       (C) Authority.--
       (i) Partnership locations.--

       (I) Partnership locations.--The Administrator and the 
     Secretaries shall maintain an active partnership program 
     under the Urban Waters program at each Urban Waters 
     partnership location, including each Urban Waters partnership 
     location in existence on the date of enactment of this Act, 
     by providing--

       (aa) technical assistance for projects to be carried out 
     within the Urban Waters partnership location;
       (bb) funding for projects to be carried out within the 
     Urban Waters partnership location;
       (cc) funding for an Urban Waters ambassador for the Urban 
     Waters partnership location; and
       (dd) coordination support with other member agencies with 
     respect to activities carried out at the Urban Waters 
     partnership location.

       (II) New partnership locations.--

       (aa) In general.--The Administrator and the Secretaries 
     may, in consultation with the heads of other member agencies, 
     establish new Urban Waters partnership locations.
       (bb) Nonpartnership locations.--A community with an Urban 
     Waters nonpartnership location may, at the discretion of the 
     community, seek to have the Urban Waters nonpartnership 
     location designated as an Urban Waters partnership location.
       (ii) Authorized activities.--

       (I) Definition of eligible entity.--In this clause, the 
     term ``eligible entity'' means--

       (aa) a State;
       (bb) a territory or possession of the United States;
       (cc) the District of Columbia;
       (dd) an Indian Tribe;
       (ee) a unit of local government;
       (ff) a public or private institution of higher education;
       (gg) a public or private nonprofit institution;
       (hh) an intertribal consortium;
       (ii) an interstate agency; and
       (jj) any other entity determined to be appropriate by the 
     Administrator.

       (II) Activities.--In carrying out the Urban Waters program, 
     a member agency may encourage, cooperate with, and render 
     technical services to and provide financial assistance to 
     support--

       (aa) Urban Water ambassadors to conduct activities with 
     respect to the applicable Urban Waters partnership location, 
     including--
       (AA) convening the appropriate Federal and non-Federal 
     partners for the Urban Waters partnership location;
       (BB) developing and carrying out an Urban Waters 
     partnership location workplan;
       (CC) leveraging available Federal and non-Federal resources 
     for projects within the Urban Waters partnership location; 
     and
       (DD) sharing information and best practices with the Urban 
     Waters Learning Network established under clause (iii); and
       (bb) an eligible entity in carrying out--
       (AA) projects at Urban Water partnership locations that 
     provide habitat or water quality improvements, increase river 
     recreation, enhance community resiliency, install 
     infrastructure, strengthen community engagement with and 
     education with respect to water resources, or support 
     planning, coordination, and execution of projects identified 
     in the applicable Urban Waters partnership location workplan; 
     and
       (BB) planning, research, experiments, demonstrations, 
     surveys, studies, monitoring, training, and outreach to 
     advance the purpose described in paragraph (2) within Urban 
     Waters partnership locations and in Urban Waters 
     nonpartnership locations.

       (III) Transfer of funds.--In carrying out the Urban Waters 
     program, a member agency may transfer funds to or enter into 
     interagency agreements with other member agencies as 
     necessary to carry out the Urban Waters program.

       (iii) Urban waters learning network.--The Administrator and 
     the Secretaries shall maintain an Urban Waters Learning 
     Network--

       (I) to share information, resources, and tools between 
     Urban Waters partnership locations and with other interested 
     communities; and
       (II) to carry out community-based capacity building that 
     advances the goals of the Urban Waters program.

       (iv) Workplan progress.--Progress in addressing the goals 
     of the Urban Waters partnership location workplan of an Urban 
     Waters partnership location shall be shared with the Urban 
     Waters program at regular intervals, as determined by the 
     Administrator and the Secretaries.
       (4) Reports to congress.--The Administrator and the 
     Secretaries shall annually submit to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress a report describing the progress in 
     carrying out the Urban Waters program, which shall include--
       (A) a description of the use of funds under the Urban 
     Waters program;
       (B) a description of the progress made in carrying out 
     Urban Waters partnership location workplans; and
       (C) any additional information that the Administrator and 
     the Secretaries determine to be appropriate.
       (5) Authorization of appropriations.--
       (A) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Administrator to carry out the Urban Waters program 
     $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
       (B) Use of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, activities carried out using amounts made available to 
     the Administrator under subparagraph (A) may be used in 
     conjunction with amounts made available from--
       (i) other member agencies; and
       (ii) non-Federal entities that participate in the Urban 
     Waters program.
                                 ______